Akin Gump, a 900-attorney corporate law firm founded in Dallas in 1945 by Robert Strauss and Richard Gump, announced Tuesday that it has elected a partner in New York and a partner in London to take over the firm’s leadership in 2025.
Foley Adds Trio of Texas Talent
The firm’s recent hires of Trey McDonald and James McFall from Jackson Walker and former Houston City Council member Ronald Green enhance its capabilities in sports and entertainment and public finance, in particular.
Paul Hastings Continues Its Texas Expansion
Paul Hastings announced Tuesday that Vinson & Elkins litigation partner Manuel Berrelez has joined the firm’s Dallas office as a partner. Since September, Paul Hastings has more than doubled its presence in Texas — growing from about two dozen lawyers to about 65, including eight corporate finance partners from V&E who joined in March. At the same time, the firm officially announced that it had opened an office in Dallas.
Five Attorneys Leave Sheehy Ware Pappas Grubbs for Spencer Fane
Spencer Fane has bolstered its litigation and dispute resolution practice group with three new partners and two of counsel attorneys in Houston. The Kansas City-based firm, which has been growing its Texas presence since it entered the state in 2018, now has 117 attorneys here.
Exxon Mobil Names Former Fox Lawyer as New GC
Following its pattern of promoting former top federal prosecutors and regulators to leading corporate positions, Exxon Mobil announced Wednesday that former Fox Corporation general counsel and former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeff Taylor, will be the energy giant’s next top lawyer. Exxon Mobil announced Wednesday that Craig Morford, also a former federal prosecutor who has been the company’s general counsel since 2020, will retire on July 1 and that Taylor will be his replacement.
Gotta Move On: Polsinelli Expands to Fort Worth
Kansas City-based Polsinelli announced Wednesday it has opened its third office in Texas in ‘Funkytown’ with a group of four transactional lawyers. Firm leaders say Fort Worth is a right fit for the Midwest firm.
The Corner Office: Q&A with Paul Genender
In this Q&A, Genender, who chairs the firm’s Texas commercial litigation practice and co-chairs its Dallas and Houston offices, describes why the move has been even better than imagined and shares what career fulfillment means to him and why he is proud to be a lawyer. Plus, with Game 3 of the NBA Finals tipping off in Dallas on Wednesday, Genender offers a basketball analogy for being in the office.
Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial Expands to Texas, Opens Houston Office
WWHGD tapped Houston attorney Chaz Klaes to spearhead its Texas expansion. Klaes brought eight lawyers with him from Donato, Brown, Pool & Moehlmann.
Dallas Dealmaker John Willding Jumps to Stinson
In a Q&A with The Lawbook, Willding describes recent deals he has handled, elaborates on a “significant pickup” in middle-market M&A deals, and identifies other trends he is observing
Q&A with Katten Health Care Chair Kenya Woodruff
The Texas Lawbook visited with Woodruff about how she keeps all the balls in the air, trends in health care, mentorship advice, and the innovative work by Katten client Parker University, a chiropractic college in Dallas that boasts the second largest chiropractic cohort of any campus in the world.